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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · face · pitcher · sharp · track · fork · suit · bulb

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — a path
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — to confront
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. face — to point toward
  8. track — to keep track
  9. face — part of the head
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bulb — for light
  13. suit — clothes
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. track — a song
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fork — in a road
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com